“Unbloomed Flowers A silent State”

By: Jamal Nasir

Email:drjamalnasir1947@gmail.com

Child sexual abuse in Pakistan is such a tragedy that remaining silent is tantamount to imprisoning one’s conscience. Cases of child abuse, rape, mistreatment, kidnapping, torture and murder are increasing day by day in Pakistan. Every day, news of an innocent boy or girl being abused comes to light and we forget about these news after a few days, considering them as sensational news. We do not try to solve the root causes of this problem. Sahil is a well-known non-governmental organization working for the rights and protection of children in Pakistan, which especially raises its voice against sexual abuse of children. According to its report, the number of child abuse cases in 2025 was 3630, which is 8% more than in 2024, but according to unofficial estimates, this number has reached close to 7608. Among them, there are also a large number of those who, due to fear of honor, influence of people or delay in seeking justice, do not approach the courts or police stations and remain silent. It is estimated that 9 or 10 cases of sexual abuse of children are being reported every day, of which 53 percent are girls and 47 percent are boys. The children who are most often subjected to violence are between the ages of 11 and 15. At present, 73 percent of cases of child abuse are reported in Punjab province, 21 percent in Sindh, 4 per- cent in KP, 2 percent in Balochistan and Islamabad, and out of these, about 7,110 children were kid- napped, 596 were molested, 522 were raped, 365 were missing, 195 were attempted raped, 100 were gang raped and 58 children were killed after being raped. In 1667 cases, the perpetrator was an acquaintance, relative or someone you cannot even imagine that this person could abuse your children. Coming to judicial justice, unfortunately, only 12 were convicted in 2025, no one was convicted in 717 cases of sexual assault and 12 people were acquitted. At present, the conviction rate in Pakistan is two to one percent, that is, 99 out of 100 criminals are acquitted. It is true that cases of child abuse also come to light in countries like America and Europe, but due to the implementation of law and justice there, the conviction rate is almost more than 50 percent and due to this, the number of sexual abuse cases is decreasing day by day. Unfortunately, according to the Sahil report for the first six months of 2026 in Pakistan, more cases have been registered than in 2025. Pakistan currently has very good laws against sexual violence, but due to their slow implementation, people’s trust in the justice system has been lost and cases of sexual violence are increasing every year. The Zainab Alert Bill in Pakistan was enacted in 2020 when a seven- year-old girl named Zainab Amin Ansari was kidnapped while going to a Quran lesson, sexually assaulted, protests broke out all over Kasur and the girl’s body was recovered from the garbage. This year, there were about 12 cases in Kasur alone, after which an Anti- Rape Bill 2021 added sections 376 and 377, which made DNA testing mandatory and revealing the identity of the victim a crime punishable by three years, ordered the registration of an FIR within two hours, ordered the completion of a 14-day trial and the court to decide within 30 days to four months. The law exists, but unfortunately, even today, if you look at the number of cases in the courts, you will find that most cases of sexual violence are pending. UNICEF conducted a study in Pakistan in 2026 and said that in Pakistan, children aged 12 to 17 using the Internet have been victims of sexual abuse, exploitation or violence in some form or the other, and this number is about 1.5 mil- lion, meaning that the threat is not limited to the streets or any specific place, but also includes mobile phone, social media and internet blackmail, obtaining or distributing private photos, pressure for sexual conversations and creating fake photos through artificial intelligence. If we want to eliminate incidents of child sexual violence from this country, then first we have to strengthen the judicial sys- tem, restore people’s trust in the judicial system. FIRS, trials and cases should be decided within the stipulated time, sentences should be implemented quickly and such perpetrators should be hanged or flogged publicly so that people can learn a lesson from it. Second, the police and investigative agencies will have to recruit personnel who have received special training in investigating child sexual crimes. Third, the hospital and forensic systems should be strengthened and more forensic institutions should be established so that evidence can be preserved in a timely and accurate manner. Fourth, trained experts and child-friendly methods should be adopted for questioning children. Fifth, children in educational institutions and homes should be informed about age- appropriate good touch, bad touch and ways to get help for online safety. Sixth, parents must under- stand that listening to the child, befriending him, and providing immediate help have now become essential. Seventh, online platforms and relevant state agencies must create a more effective system for the digital protection of children because the threat is no longer limited to the physical world, but artificial intelligence has also taken a dangerous turn. Eighth, the media also has a responsibility to present such programs and raise such a voice that when an incident occurs, its perpetrators are punished as soon as possible so that the government can make it a lesson. Child abuse is not a test of the conscience of a single family but of the entire society. We have to create such a system that the child can be protected from this sexual abuse. After sexual abuse, most children suffer from psychological illnesses. We must encourage these children. By trying to bring the accused to justice, he should be made a symbol of punishment so that the accused, while committing such an act, thinks many times that the punishment for this crime will be very severe and soon. Apart from the government, the police and the court, all of us have a common responsibility not to remain silent in such cases but to contribute and strive to eradicate this scourge from the society. In summary, awareness, reporting, effective law, strong investigation, prompt justice and child protection must be worked on honestly.